European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - July 15, 1990, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Sunday july 15, 1990 the stars and stripes Page 5 fire in la. By the los Angeles times los Angeles a fire raged out of control Friday in an unfinished subway Tunnel collapsing a Section of the tube severing a major commuter artery and intensifying the traffic Nightmare front which the Long awaited rail system is supposed to Rescue commuters. Only minor injuries were reported but the. Fire that has been burning for More than 12 hours forced closure of the heavily travelled Hollywood freeway snarling commuter traffic in and around much of downtown los Angeles. Six workers facing a Wall of flame escaped harm when they dashed under the freeway to safety but two of about 150 firefighters battling the Blaze were injured. What started the fire was not immediately determined. Fire officials said that wooden shoring and highly flammable plastic lining were burning the length of the 750-foot bore threatening a More Complete collapse of the Tunnel that officials say could keep the freeway closed for weeks. The fire a by far the worst Accident to mar construction of los Angeles metro. Rail red line subway system a was expected to further delay completion of the project which already is 18 months behind schedule. It could add millions of dollars to the $1.4 billion Cost for the first phase of the subway project which already is running $135 million Over budget. Officials say that each Day of delay costs $100,000 in interest and escalating costs alone but Southern California rapid transit District spokesmen said the loss to the Tunnel itself is covered by insurance. Clouds of moderately toxic smoke from the burning plastic liner forced firefighters to Don protective masks further complicating a task already made arduous by temperatures in the mid-90s and High humidity. Air superheated by the Blaze created a a a Bazooka effect spurting flames that at times shot 100 feet into the air from both los Angeles firefighters Battle a fire at the Entrance of a burning Utility Tunnel for the subway system. Ends of the Tunnel. At Dawn about three hours after the fire broke out smaller jets of flame began erupting through the ground above the Tunnel and marched toward the freeway marking the steady Advance of the collapsing Tunnel roof. By noon about 150 feet of the Tunnel had caved in reaching to within 10 feet of the freeway. The Blaze struck a Day before the scheduled opening of metro rails intersecting Blue line Light rail system Between the downtown area and the nearby City of Long Beach. Officials said the opening should proceed As scheduled. Traffic officials said that smoke from the fire and the danger of collapsing pavement prompted the closing of the 1 a a mile stretch of the Hollywood freeway leading into downtown los Angeles. The result was a massive traffic Jam that backed up traffic for Miles in Many directions. A generally it affected everything in the system at one Point or another a said officer Lydia Martinez of the California Highway patrol. Officials said the Section of freeway a one of Southern californians most heavily used traffic arteries a could remain closed for Days or even weeks depending on How seriously the underpinnings of the Roadway have been weakened., Mississippi uneasy with wide open gun Law 1/am a my the Law in ind most Masiss indians Over the aae of Start. Jackson miss. Apr a new Mississippi gun control Law that went into effect july 1 allows most state residents to carry concealed handguns almost anywhere a into sports events bars and even the state Capitol. But embarrassed and concerned state lawmakers said they had no intention of turning Mississippi into Dodge City when they passed the new Law a they simply screwed up. An Lith hour attempt to fix the flawed legislation failed in a special legislative session last month and Law enforcement officials fear its looseness will allow the wrong people to be armed a and in the wrong places. A a it a the Law and we be got to live with it Quot said Sharkey county sheriff Jpe Ford president of the Mississippi sheriffs association. The Law allows most mississippians Over the age of 21 to obtain a 3-year permit to carry a concealed weapon. The Only exceptions Are convicted felons fugitives drug and alcohol abusers the mentally incompetent illegal aliens those Dis honorable discharged from the military those who renounce their citizenship or those who falsify permit applications. Applicants must undergo background checks be fingerprinted and photographed. But the background Check requirement is indicative of what critics say is the so oppress of the Law. It says that permits Are to be issued within 30 Days of applying but the state department of Public safety says such checks with the Fri take about six weeks. Its also not Clear when the 30-Day period is intended to and Law enforcement officials complain there a no provision for revoking the $100 permits which Are automatically renewable. The Law began As a state Senate Bill to allow judges to carry handguns. But it evolved in the House into a Bill to loosen up an old Law that defined a weapon As concealed if any part of it was not open to View. Lawmakers have since admitted they made a mistake. But they failed to pass a cleanup Bill at last month s special session. Unless gov. Ray Mabus Calls a special session a for which there Are no plans a the Law stays on the books until the legislature can act when it meets in regular session in Early january. 39 officers 19 inmates Hurt in fighting at riders Island new York apr a group of jail inmates Bent on avenging the knifing of their Muslim religious Leader stormed a Cellblock at a City jail Friday and 39 officers were injured trying to Stop the fighting. At least 19 of the 60 inmates involved in the Brawl at riders Island also were injured said corrections department spokeswoman Ruby Ryles. Seventeen weapons were recovered in the Cellblock hallway after the fight she said. Riders Island is the maximum Security City jail located on an Island in the East River off the Borough of Queens. According to Ryles the fight stemmed from thursday night s stabbing by in mate Rolando Gonzalez of Andrew Jackson the elected Imam or spiritual Leader of the jails Muslim population. Authorities said they did no to know what prompted the stabbing. Forty eight Muslim inmates were returning from Church services around 3 . Friday when they passed Gonzalez a Cellblock Ryles said. A they tried to crash the Block and get their revenge on Gonzalez Quot she said. A dozen inmates in the hallway clashed with the Muslim prisoners and 50 correction officers were called in to subdue the brawlers. Four of the injured officers and two injured inmates were hospitalized she  of time in the stars and stripes 40 years ago today. July 15, 1950 a the United states Britain and France joined in demanding that the soviet Union furnish proof that it was still holding less than 15,000 German prisoners of War or civilian internees. The Challenge came in response to a soviet announcement on the number of prisoners it held.30 years ago today. July 15, 1960 a sen. John f. Kennedy d-mass., launched a confident Campaign for the White House within hours after winning the democratic presidential nomination on the first ballot.20 years ago today. A a july 15, 1970 a House investigators concluded that . Troops a a deliberately Quot killed an undetermined number of civilians in the South vietnamese Hamlet of my Lai and that the army and state department tried to cover up the  0 years ago today. July 15, 1980 a the death toll from a blistering . Heal wave neared 500 As cities in the South and Midwest recorded temperatures above 100 degrees